Earlier this year the Woolwich & Plumstead Branch of the Women’s Institute (WI) (aka the Roses) did a tour of micropubs in South East London. The 51 bus route starts at Woolwich (reached via Elizabeth line, DLR or South Eastern trains) and goes through Plumstead Common, Welling and then to Sidcup and you can drop into around half a dozen micropubs along the way. WI Roses president, Jean Bincliffe, said, “The 51 bus pub crawl was a really social, fun and interesting day. I remember it was very cold out and each venue was a little haven from the weather. My father brought me up to appreciate craft ales and he would have approved. A great day that I’d be in a hurry to repeat.”
For anyone coming from further afield, if you’re getting off at Woolwich and need lunch, I’d recommend ViB Bar in Beresford Square for noodles and bao buns; or, for brunch at Plumstead Common, try the Slade Café in Plumstead Common Road (except Mondays and Tuesdays). We started our crawl in Sidcup with everyone finding their own way to the Hoppers Hut.
There was a risk of us getting too comfy, so it was time to head to the Hackney Carriage. At 5pm there was a busy vibe. I polished off a Welsh Dragon Pale Ale (4.0% ABV) from Milestone and a Seen Red IPA (4.0% ABV) from Front Row Brewing.
We then moved on to the Broken Drum in Blackfen and it’s worth noting that their website gives details of three local micropub crawls. When we arrived, there was a 70th birthday party in progress, a nice family gathering which added some atmosphere. The Drum is more of a traditional micro, which I prefer, as I like my beer without loud music (unless it happens to be music I like!). I was very happy with the Wife of Bath Hoppy Golden (Canterbury Ales – 3.9% ABV) sampled here.
On to the Hangar in Welling. NB there is another Hangar micropub in Sidcup, a sister pub to this one. This is a more modern micro with a wider choice of drinks, craft beer and cocktails, which may appeal more to a younger crowd. Still, it’s all about the beer and I managed a cask pale ale, Wylam Wylam Gold (4% ABV), followed by Burnt Mill Pintle Pale Ale, a Citra and Cascade APA, at 4.3% ABV. The Hangar was very busy, as you’d expect for a Saturday night, but we managed to get a table eventually.
Sadly we had to skip the Door Hinge in Welling because it was a bit of a distance from the bus stop and not everyone could manage the walk. However, for those that don’t mind the extra steps, it’s worth the detour. It’s the oldest micropub in the area (opened in 2013) and was CAMRA’s Greater London Regional Pub of the Year in 2014, the first micropub to win the award. Watch out for football fixtures because it’s close to Welling United FC.
The last stop on our tour was the Plum Tree Beer Shop in Plumstead Common. Sadly, on this occasion, I had to peel off because I had to be elsewhere but it’s worth a visit too. It recently won CAMRA South East London branch’s Greenwich District Pub of the Year award.
WI member Siobhán Trethewey said, “Part of the appeal of the WI, to me, is to find local women to socialise with. Finding the Roses has been great, sharing knowledge and experience of local businesses to support, as well as good beer, is fantastic.”
On the theme of local businesses, Nick Turner (landlord of the Plum Tree) ran an excellent beer and food matching session in the summer, along with WI Roses former president, Sonal Dack. Perhaps I’ll tell you about that in a future edition of London Drinker. Reflecting on the 51 bus tour, Sonal said, “I had a fantastic time discovering some great beers with my fellow Roses. This trip was typical of the kinds of things we love to do here and the fact that we can support local businesses is the icing on the cake!“
Talking of cake, there are often homemade cakes at our WI meetings, although usually served with tea or coffee rather than beer. Some people also make jam and chutneys and some do crafting but there is no Jerusalem. New members are welcome; we meet on the first Thursday of the month in Woolwich SE18. For more information go here or find us on Facebook. Cheers!
Maria Freeman
SEL CAMRA and Roses WI member